It was our second time in
Silgrey Rustic Resort which situated at the Conroy Rapids on the York River North-East of Bancroft. This route is described by Kevin Callan in his book "Ontario's Lost Canoe Routes". We were here in the fall of 2011, in October when all the forest was fantastically colored in all shades of yellow and red. Now we decided to use an opportunity of the Labor Day long week-end and try early September there. This time we chose to drive there from Caledon along the West side of Lake Simcoe - on hwy 400 North, 11 North, then hwy 12 West, then 48, 45, 503, 118 East and finally hwy 28 North to Bancroft. We specially began our trip in the morning to have time for visiting Eagan Chutes Provincial Park 11 km East of Bancroft on hwy 28. This place is known as a "Mineral Capital of Ontario", though it looks like the real capital is now in a
special store, where these minerals and rocks are for sale.
It took us about three and a half hours to reach the Park (we stopped once to have a snake at Kinmount where hwy 45 joins hwy 503). There is no distinct entrance to the Park but two rough roads - one West of the bridge over York river and another one East of it. We turned onto the West road and after about half kilometer there was a small parking lot near the remnants of an old bridge or dam. Further on one can go on the wide path along the river to reach the first waterfall - the Egan Chute (app. 1 km).
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| Eagan Chute is a cascade of waterfalls near 50 m long |
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| At the end of a Chute. |
We didn't see a lot of "mineral riches" or old mines but found numerous mushrooms including Orange-latex Milky (Ryzhik in Russian) and King Bolete (White in Russian) - the most valuable mushrooms in Russia/Siberia.
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| Orange-latex Milky (Ryzhik in Russian) |
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| King Bolete (White in Russian) |
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| A real King of Mushrooms! |
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| Lucky mushroom hunter - Queen of Mushrooms |
Another 30 km and we were at the Silgrey Resort - several cabins among the gigantic pine trees at the Conroy Rapids on the same York River.
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| Lower part of Conroy Rapids as seen from our deck. |
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| York River below the rapids |
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| Morning at the Resort |
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| Our cabin #2 |
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| Master bedroom |
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| Before |
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| And after |
On the third day Irina brought me and my kayak to the North end of the Conroy Marshe. We launched kayak at the Mayhews Landing and I spent wonderful time paddling through the wide open space of magestic Conroy Marshe surrounded by picturesque wooded hills.
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| Map (airial view}of the Conroy Marshe, where I travel from Mayhews Landing to Silgrey Resort |
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| Departure from Mayhews Landing |
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| In the vast water expanses of Conroy Marshe |
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| Gulls on the sandy spit. |
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| On the York River approaching the Silgrey Resort. |
